“Had four on tree and this one broke off,” he emailed. “Hen came in and he was following on a string.”

The 20-pound tom had 1 1/8th-inch spurs and a 10-inch beard.

TOTW, the celebration of hunting wild turkeys and and their stories around Chicago outdoors, runs Wednesdays on the Sun-Times’ outdoors page as warranted. Submit nominations on Facebook (Dale Bowman), on Twitter (@BowmanOutside) or by email (straycasts@sbcglobal.net).